The proposed research into the income and life styles of middle class Black Americans is the first stage of more extensive research into the economic conditions, attitudes, values, and mobility of middle class Blacks. The present study is a preliminary investigation into (1) the factors related to the achievement of middle and upper income among black and white families, (2) life styles among middle and upper income black and white families, and (3) a profile of Black wives in middle and upper income families. While future research will involve the collection of original data, the present project will make use of the Bureau of Census' Public Use Samples of the 1970 decennial census. Both contingency analysis using chi square and regression analysis will be the principle technique, and will involve two regression equations (one for the Black sample and one for the white sample) using the same independent variables. The second problem will be investigated with the aid of both contingency analysis and partial correlation using dummy variables, and the third primarily with contingency analysis.